CN108137072B

CN108137072B - Double-pedal for folding cart

Info

Publication number: CN108137072B
Application number: CN201680051059.0A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 吉尔·邦德; 雅尼斯·白里安; 吴泽坚
Original assignee: Dorel France SAS
Current assignee: Shanghai Le Ruiying Ltd.
Priority date: 2015-07-03
Filing date: 2016-06-27
Publication date: 2020-02-21
Anticipated expiration: 2036-06-27
Also published as: WO2017005516A1; EP3317159A1; CN108137072A; FR3038285A1; EP3317159B1; FR3038285B1

Abstract

The invention relates to a trolley comprising a frame (1) provided with wheels (61, 62, 63), which trolley is capable of achieving at least one unfolded state corresponding to a state when the trolley is in use and at least one folded state corresponding to a state when the trolley is stowed, the trolley further comprising locking means for locking the frame (1) in the unfolded state and control unlocking means for controlling the unlocking of the locking means and thereby allowing the frame (1) to be folded into the stowed state. According to the invention, a control device for controlling unlocking comprises: -a foot-operated actuation member (81) located in a lower region of the frame (1), and-a mobile safety element (82) configured to prevent the action member (81) from being accessed when in a first position, called the safety position, and to allow the action member (82) to be accessed when in a second position, called the free position.

Description

Double-pedal for folding cart

Technical Field

The present invention relates to the field of child care. More specifically, the present invention relates to pushchairs or strollers, and in particular to the folding of such pushchairs.

Still more particularly, the present invention relates to a control mechanism for a folding cart.

Prior Art

A stroller or buggy typically comprises a frame on which is mounted, either fixedly or removably, a hammock or, where applicable, other means for transporting a child (cot, housing, etc.).

These frames are generally foldable and thus have at least one unfolded state in which the stroller can accommodate a child and at least one folded state in which the stroller is compact for storage.

A number of techniques are known for controlling the folding of carts. In general, these techniques require, among other things, compatibility with at least some of the following objectives:

safety of the child being transported and in particular control of the folding (against undesired folding, in particular in the presence of a child);

ease of folding and unfolding operations, which can be performed by the user with a reduced number of operations, and ease of operation in each step;

ease of manufacture and low cost.

Many methods known in the art can meet some of these objectives. Typically, by providing dual controls, untimely actuation is prevented and undesired folding is prevented.

A folding control device of this type, which is used to operate an unlocking member provided in the vicinity of the handle of the frame and which is connected to the unlocking mechanism by a metal cable for transmission, is an example.

Object of the Invention

The object of the present invention is, inter alia, to overcome the drawbacks of the prior art.

More precisely, according to at least one embodiment, the object of the present invention is to provide a trolley that allows a simple and easy operation of the folding mechanism, which has good safety properties for the child being transported.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a trolley which is simple and inexpensive to operate, at least in respect of the folding mechanism.

It is also an object of the present invention, according to at least one embodiment, to provide a folding mechanism that is simple and robust and cannot be actuated in an untimely manner.

Disclosure of Invention

These and other objects, which will appear more clearly in the following, are achieved by using a trolley comprising a frame provided with wheels, which enables a deployed condition, corresponding to a use condition of the trolley, and a collapsed condition, corresponding to a stowed condition of the trolley; the stroller further comprises locking means for locking the frame in the deployed state and control means for controlling the unlocking of these locking means to enable the frame to be returned to said stowed state.

According to the invention, the control device for controlling the unlocking comprises an actuating member, which is operated by means of a foot and is located in an area below the frame, and a movable safety element, which is configured to prevent the actuating member in a first so-called safety position from being accessed, and in a second so-called release position from being accessed.

The present invention proposes a mechanism for folding a pushchair for children which cannot be actuated untimely and which has excellent safety properties for the child being transported.

To this end, the pushchair uses an additional safety element, which can also be actuated by the foot of the user, and an actuating member (for example a pedal) operated by the foot, which actuating member is able to unlock the folding of the pushchair.

More precisely, the security element is configured in the following configuration: which in the lowered position (safety position) prevents the actuation element from being touched, and in the raised position (release position) allows the actuation element to be touched.

The user moves the safety element from the lowered position to the raised position with a simple action of the upper part of his foot. Once release is required, the user need only unlock the fold of the cart with the same foot press on the actuating member.

According to a particular feature of the invention, the user can use their foot to effect the movement of the safety element from the safety position to the release position.

The user can fold the cart by a dual action of the feet.

According to another particular feature of the invention, the safety element and the actuation member are configured and assembled so that the user can perform the same actions in sequence with his feet to move the safety element from the safety position to the release position and then act on the actuation member to control the unlocking.

This limits the number of operations and facilitates folding of the cart.

According to a particular feature of the invention, the actuating member and/or the safety element are pivotably mounted on the frame.

According to another particular feature of the invention, the safety element is mounted in such a way as to move from the release position to the safety position under the action of gravity.

According to a further particular feature of the invention, the safety element covers at least the actuating member in the safety position.

Such a feature can ensure and prevent the actuation member from being actuated in an untimely or undesirable manner.

According to a particular feature of the invention, the actuation member is able to act on a cable connected to at least one first mobile element for locking the frame.

According to a particular feature of the invention, the actuating member is able to act on at least one second moving element for locking the frame which cooperates with at least one element for controlling the folding of the rear wheels of the frame.

According to another particular feature of the invention, the actuating member is integral with elastic means to return the actuating element to the rest position.

Such elastic means allow the actuating member to return to its rest position without any manipulation by the user.

According to a further particular feature of the invention, the foot-operated actuation member comprises a support surface for application by the foot of the user.

Drawings

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly on reading the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, illustrated only as a non-limiting example for informational purposes, and of the accompanying drawings, in which:

fig. 1A and 1B show perspective views of a cart according to the invention, with the cart in a deployed state;

FIG. 2 is a partial detail view of the cart of FIGS. 1A and 1B;

figures 3A and 3B schematically show the kinematics of a cart according to the invention;

figures 4A and 4B are detailed views of the folding mechanism of the rear wheel block of the stroller according to the present invention;

FIGS. 5A and 5B are partial detail views of the cart in an expanded state and a collapsed state, respectively, according to the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a rear view of the cart showing the unlock control of the frame according to the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of an unlock control for a frame according to the present invention;

FIG. 8A is a schematic detail view of an unlock control of the frame according to the present invention;

figures 8B to 8D are partial cross-sectional views of the unlocking control of the frame according to the invention, illustrating the use of the foot to actuate the unlocking control;

fig. 9 is a detail view of a first element for locking the frame of the trolley in the unfolded state;

fig. 10 is a bottom view of the cart showing the unlocking control means of the frame according to the present invention.

Detailed Description

Basic principle

As mentioned above, the present invention thus relates to the implementation of a folding structure for a three-dimensional folding stroller, which uses a pedal that unlocks the frame in the unfolded state to allow folding, the pedal comprising an additional safety element that can also be actuated by the foot of the user.

Examples of frames for carts

Fig. 1A and 1B show a folding frame of the trolley on which a hammock H can be mounted, which hammock H is shown only in fig. 1B for clarity.

Generally, the folding frame 1 comprises an upper part or

section

2, 3, 4, 5 and a lower part or section 6 with a central beam 601. The center beam 601 is provided at its front portion with a front wheel block 61 and at its rear portion with two rear wheel blocks 63, 64 located on both sides of the center beam 601.

The upper part of the frame here comprises a front arch 5 and a rear arch 4, each arch being connected in an articulated manner to a central beam 601. The

arches

4, 5 are parallel to each other in the cart in the unfolded state of fig. 1A and 1B. The

arches

4, 5 are further connected in an articulated manner to the plunger constituted by the right upright 2 and the left upright 3. The upper ends of these uprights 2, 3 are connected by means of a thrust rod or handle 205.

The lower ends of the uprights 2, 3 are fixedly mounted to connecting elements or

bases

204, 304, respectively.

The rear end of the central beam 601 comprises a base 62 to which two rear wheel blocks 63, 64 are hingedly mounted via intermediate linkage arm sets 632, 633, 642, 643 respectively, each set comprising two arms.

More precisely, the two rear wheel blocks 63, 64 are connected to the base 62 by means of hinges (not visible in the figures) integral with the base 62, which allow the

arms

632, 633, 642, 643 to pivot towards the central beam 601 when the stroller is folded and to pivot away from the central beam 601 when the stroller is unfolded.

As shown in fig. 2 and 5A, the front arch 5 is connected in an articulated manner to a sliding element 71, which sliding element 71 enables folding of the rear wheel blocks 63, 64. The sliding element 71 extends on the bottom of the central beam 601 in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the central beam 601 and is movably mounted with its first end on the base 62.

As shown in fig. 4A and 4B, the slide member 71 includes an elliptical hole 712 extending in the longitudinal direction of the center beam 601 and located near the base 62. The hole 712 is configured to cooperate with the pin 622 to guide the integral sliding of the pin with the base 62 and thus allow the sliding element 71 to be displaced relative to the base 62. Note that the

arm portions

632, 633, 642, 643 of the two rear wheel blocks 63 and 64 are pivotally mounted on the base 62. When the sliding element 71 moves towards the rear of the cart (towards the rear wheels), the pin 622 is displaced and abuts against the front end of the hole 712, which causes the base 62 to be displaced towards the rear and the wheel blocks 63, 64 to pivot towards the front (and towards the central beam 601).

The second end of the sliding element 71 is integrated with an element 72 for assisting folding, which element 72 is for example a spring or a gas piston or an air piston (any other element that achieves the same effect may be used). The element 72 for assisting folding extends in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the central beam 601 and is integral with the end of the central beam. The second end of the slide member 71 is also integral with a generally U-shaped jaw 73.

The jaws 73 are mounted hingedly with respect to the sliding element 71 and extend on both sides of the central beam 601 according to an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the central beam 601.

Furthermore, a jaw 73 is integral with a first end of a lever or connecting rod 74 by means of a hinge 731, this jaw 73 being integral with a lever 74 connected to the central beam 601, and the lever being connected to the front arch 5 by means of a hinge 741 (visible in fig. 2).

The folding frame 1 further comprises means for locking the frame 1 in its unfolded state. This means for locking the frame 1 is intended to prevent untimely folding of the frame of the trolley. The locking means may be arranged to automatically lock at the end of the frame deployment event.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 3A, 3B and 9, a first locking element G is provided in the

base

204, 304 and locks the hinge connecting the front arch to the base (and thus to the uprights 2, 3), thereby preventing the movement of the front arch 5 and thus of the entire frame 1.

The second locking member H is movably installed in the center beam 601 and locks the sliding of the sliding member 71 (fig. 7 and 8B to 8D).

The locking system of the frame 1 comprises control means of the unlocking member 8, which is realized in the form of a pedal 81, and control means of an additional safety element 82, which is located at the bottom of the central beam 601 (fig. 5A, 8A to 8D and 10) and acts on each locking element G and H.

In the embodiment shown, the safety element 82 is a rigid wire that substantially corresponds to the contour of the footplate 81 and is located above the footplate 81 and that is bent down and over the footplate to prevent the footplate 81 from being touched in the safety position and to facilitate the operation of the safety element with the toe and/or the upper half of the foot.

As the frame 1 is deployed, the locking element H cooperates with the sliding element 71 (fig. 7) and the piston 72 is retracted (fig. 2 and 5A). When the locking member H is no longer in contact with the sliding member 71, the piston 72 extends (fig. 5B) and drives the sliding of the sliding member 71 (fig. 8B to 8D).

The folding kinematics of the frame 1 can be decomposed essentially in the following manner:

using the pedal 81 to unlock the means for locking G, H, i.e. in particular the action of releasing the articulation between the front arch 5 and the uprights 2, 3, and the sliding of the sliding element 71 under the action of the piston 72 (thus pivoting the pincers 73);

the folding is started by pivoting the uprights 2, 3 downwards;

the

base

204, 304 pivots and drives the front and

rear arches

5, 4 in rotation;

the sliding element 71 starts to slide and the rear wheel blocks 63, 64 converge in three directions;

the uprights 2, 3 are pivoted towards the rear wheel blocks 63, 64 until the trolley is completely folded.

During deployment, the user pulls the uprights 2, 3 upwardly.

At the end of the folding process, the handle 205 may be manually pivoted towards the rear wheel blocks 63, 64 to even further optimize the volume of the stroller in its folded state.

Control device for controlling unlocking of a frame

The control device for controlling the unlocking member 8 comprises a pedal 81, which acts as an operating member, and an additional safety element or lever 82, which is hingedly mounted on the central beam 601 between the two rear wheel blocks 63, 64. The pedal and the additional safety element or lever have a reduced volume and can be actuated easily. In this embodiment, the pedals and additional safety elements or levers are pivotally mounted on a support block 65 fixed to the bottom of the center beam 601.

The pedal 81 comprises a bearing surface 811 (visible in fig. 2 and 6) for the foot of the user and a part of the connection to the cable C connected to the first locking element G.

The elastic return means of the footrests 81, in this example in the form of springs 812, are mounted between the central beam 601 and the footrests 81. The user can move the pedals 81 against the springs 812 by simply pressing on the support surface 811 of the pedals 81 with his feet.

A safety lever 82 is installed above the step 81 to prevent the step 81 from being touched. The safety lever 82 here has a first part 821 formed by two hingedly mounted and mutually parallel limbs, which extend in a U-shape from a second part 822, as shown in fig. 6 and 10. When the safety lever 82 is lifted, the pedal 81 can then be actuated. Alternatively, such a lever may be in the form of a cover.

The process of folding the cart is divided into two steps, which highlights the safety of the cart.

When the user wants to fold the frame 1 to fold the stroller into the stowed position, the user must simply lift the safety lever 82 upwards with his foot (as indicated by the arrow in fig. 8A) and then use the same foot to exert pressure on the pedal 81 (as indicated by the arrow in fig. 8A) to pivot the pedal 81 to the position shown in fig. 8C, at which time the pedal overcomes the return spring force exerted by the spring 812.

Recall that on this frame 1 the first locking element G is located in the

base

204, 304 and locks the hinge, preventing the movement of the front arch 5 and therefore of the whole frame 1.

Recall also that the second locking element H is mounted in the central beam 601 and locks the sliding of the sliding element 71.

Depression of the pedal 81:

acting on the cable C connected to the first locking element G to cause a downward displacement of the two elements C and G (for example towards the ground or the rear wheels), an

Acts on the second locking element H moved downwards and thus releases the sliding of the sliding element 71 towards the rear wheel block under the action of the piston 72.

After releasing/unlocking the means of locking G, H, the folding of the cart can be started according to the steps described above.

Once the user's foot is removed from the pedal 81, the pedal 81 returns to its original position under the action of the spring 812 (fig. 8D).

When the stroller has to be unfolded from its collapsed state to a swung-away state, the user pulls the uprights 2, 3 upwards.

Note that this method is readily applicable to other carts that fold in two or three dimensions.

The advantage of the invention is that the control means of the unlocking element provides a double security aimed at preventing undesired folding of the trolley. In fact, the pedal 81 controlling the folding of the frame cannot be activated beforehand without lifting the additional safety element 82.

The present invention thus enables the user to easily control the folding of the frame with their feet and reduces the number of operations.

The present invention eliminates the need for additional offset controls, such as buttons located on the handle, for example.

It is furthermore noted that the invention is not in any way restricted to the embodiments described and illustrated.

Claims

1. A stroller comprising a frame (1) provided with wheels (61, 62, 63) which is capable of achieving at least one unfolded condition corresponding to a use condition of the stroller and at least one folded condition corresponding to a stowed condition of the stroller, the stroller further comprising locking means for locking the frame (1) in the unfolded condition and control means for controlling the unlocking of the locking means to return the frame to said stowed condition,

characterized in that the control device for controlling unlocking comprises:

-a foot-operated actuating member (81) located in a lower region of the frame (1), and

-a movable safety element (82) configured to prevent the actuating member (81) when in a first so-called safety position from being accessed, allowing the actuating member (81) when in a second so-called release position to be accessed.

2. The cart of claim 1, wherein the movement of the safety element from the safe position to the release position is accomplished by action of a foot of the user.

3. The stroller according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the safety element (82) and the actuation member (81) are configured and assembled so that the user can perform the same actions in sequence with the foot:

-moving the safety element from a safety position to a release position, and then

-acting on said actuating member to control unlocking.

4. A trolley according to claim 3, characterized in that the actuating member (81) and/or the safety element (82) are pivotably mounted on the frame (1).

5. A trolley according to claim 4, characterized in that the safety element (82) is mounted in such a way that it moves from the release position to the safety position under the influence of gravity.

6. A trolley according to claim 5, characterized in that the safety element (82) covers at least the actuating member (81) in a safety position.

7. Trolley according to claim 6 characterised in that the actuating member (81) is able to act on a cable (C) and that this cable is connected to at least one first moving element (G) for locking the frame.

8. Trolley according to claim 6 characterised in that the actuating member (81) is able to act on at least one second moving element (H) for the locking frame (1), which second moving element (H) cooperates with at least one element for controlling the folding of the rear wheels of the frame (1).

9. Trolley according to claim 7 characterised in that the actuation member (81) is integrated with elastic means (812) to return the actuation element (81) to the rest position.

10. The trolley according to claim 9, characterized in that the actuating member (81) operated by the foot comprises a support surface for the foot of the user to apply.